American Canyon voters get another chance to extend mayoral term

AMERICAN CANYON -- On Nov. 6, voters here will not only decide who will be this city's mayor, they also will determine how long that person will serve.

At their March 20 meeting, City Council members asked that an ordinance be placed on the November ballot, changing the mayor's term from two to four years starting in 2014. But it was later decided to have the change take effect this year, instead.

It cost the city about $2,000 to have this on the ballot and if it passes, "we'll make that back in two election cycles," said City Councilwoman Belia Ramos-Bennett.

The sitting mayor and council members come down on both sides of the issue.

Mayor Leon Garcia, who is running for re-election, says he favors the measure.

"All the council members have four-year terms and the mayor has the same responsibilities," Garcia said. "Also, it adds consistency and stability to the council."

It's a point incumbent Councilwoman Joan Bennett made just before the vote determining whether to place the measure on the ballot.

A similar attempt failed in 2006, in the same election in which voters here decided to have an elected mayor. Before that, voters selected five City Council members for four-year overlapping terms and council members selected the mayor, usually on a rotating basis.

That year, Garcia was elected mayor for a two-year term and has successfully run for re-election every two years since. There are no term limits in American Canyon.

"It was new in '06 and there was a lot of uncertainly there," Garcia said. "Folks were wanting to see how leadership

performed in that role and get comfortable with it. And (the four-year term) lost by a narrow margin."

Moving to having an elected mayor was "a big step in the right direction," Ramos-Bennett said. "Now it's time to move to the next level so the mayor can focus less on elections and more on the work. It will create more stability and consistency for working together and allow for a more effective council."

Councilwoman Cindy Coffey, who is seeking re-election, said she disagrees.

"I oppose it because most cities under 25,000 population self-appoint the mayor annually, allowing for a variety of leadership and letting the person serve on a time-available basis," she said. "Our mayor works during the day and isn't necessarily available during the day."

Coffey, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor twice, said she'd prefer to return to the pre-2006 days of a council-appointed mayor.

"It saves money and is just a better way to go," she said. "We don't need to be electing a mayor. I also support three-term limits for everybody -- one to learn your job, one to get your ideas rolling and one to accomplish something."

Mayoral candidate Gustav Viale said he also opposes the mayoral term increase.